Wii Play Best-Selling Game of the Decade in America

[John Funk]

Wii Play Best-Selling Game of the Decade in America

With very little time remaining to lose its lead, Wii Play stands in front of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas as the best-selling game of the "Aughts" in North America.

We're nearing the end of the 0X's now, and will probably be seeing a lot more "Best of the Decade" recappage in the months to come. But while anyone can name their favorite game of the past ten years, there's a certain charm to cold hard data. The folks at IGN [http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/103/1034252p1.html] did some number crunching using NPD figures to find the best-selling games of the decade (in North America, anyway) and the answers... aren't very surprising.

Coming in first was Wii Play, which almost certainly held the top spot by virtue of that extra Wii Remote it came packaged with, selling 11.1 million copies this side of the Pacific. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas stands in second with 8.25 million, though there's still time remaining for it to be overtaken by third-place Wii Fit (7.9 million) - or at least, there would be, if the release of Wii Fit Plus on October 4 hadn't effectively replaced the SKU entirely.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City held fourth place with 6.9 million, also in danger of being passed by a Wii title - Mario Kart Wii, with 6.7 million copies sold.

Keep in mind that these are just North American numbers: Nintendo revealed back in May [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/91579-Wii-Sports-Passes-SMB-For-1-Best-Seller] that Wii Play had sold 23 million copies worldwide, compared with 18.2 million for Wii Fit, 15.4 million for Mario Kart Wii, and a mind-blowing 45.7 million copies sold of Wii Sports. But that last one was bundled with the Wii itself, so it doesn't count.

Wow. There's really no doubt here about who came out on top over the past few years, is there?

(via Edge [http://www.edge-online.com/news/wii-play-america%E2%80%99s-best-selling-title-of-the-decade])

Permalink

 

[Jack and Calumon]

Wii Play doesn't count in my opinion because if you want a new controller, they throw Wii Play at you as well. 4 controllers per Wii, thats alot of Controllers with a game bundled with it. GTA Should be first, Wii Fit can be Second etc.

They didn't include Wii Sports, so why Include Wii Play? Next thing you know they'll include that demo disc you got with the PS2.

 

[ae86gamer]

In America!

I said it before and I'll say it again.. Nintendo is slowly taking over the world. D:

 

[Heart of Darkness]

Wii Play doesn't count in my opinion because if you want a new controller, they throw Wii Play at you as well. 4 controllers per Wii, thats alot of Controllers with a game bundled with it. GTA Should be first, Wii Fit can be Second etc.

They didn't include Wii Sports, so why Include Wii Play? Next thing you know they'll include that demo disc you got with the PS2.

They didn't force people to buy Wii Play with the remote, though. There was the option of buying the remote separately, or (if my memory serves correctly) buying Mario Party 8 with the Wii Remote bundled in. This is different from Wii Sports, as the non-Japan regions got the game with the system. So, in essence, they were forcibly pawning Wii Sports on you with the purchase of a Wii.

 

[AceDiamond]

I really don't think this counts due to the whole Wiimote thing but I highly doubt people bought Wii Play 3 times just to get three more Wiimotes.

 

[tehweave]

Next thing you know they'll include that demo disc you got with the PS2.

That WAS the most popular game to come out for the Playstation 2. It's just that sony aren't inconsiderable twats when it comes to the statistics to their games.

Nintendo: Look at us! Look at us! We made a not-game and it sold better than video games!

Wii play is the worst pile of shit in existence. Compared with the controller you get with the console, Wii play is really a $10 game. It's worth about 99 cents of those ten.

 

[Sparrow]

Sorry, I look at that title and all I can think is "In America!"

By the way, "Aughts"? Just call it the Naughties. Sounds much better.

 

[Cubilone]

I would like to point out that the decade ends on December 31 2010.

 

[Quadtrix]

A Wii Remote with a free game included.

 

[Valiance]

lol.

This is what you get for sales statistics.

LOL PACKAGED WITH CONSOLE!
LOL PACKAGED WITH CONSOLE PERIPHERALS!

LOOK AT US WE HAVE #1 GAME SALES ^_^

;/

Ragemaster 9,000. Good for them, they appealed to the 70% of the market that's...whatever, not gonna cause a problem, especially considering I enjoyed the little tank game on Wii Play. Just thinking that there should be more to it, or that a AAA title deserves more than a collection of flash games.

 

[GonzoGamer]

I too wont count Wii Play/Fit because if they had sold those games separately from the controller, they wouldn't be anywhere on the list.

San Andreas is the real winner here. I only hope Rockstar can make another game that's that huge again but it's beginning to look like we have to turn to Bethesda now for massive worlds with massive things to do in them.
Where San Andreas was definitely my favorite of last generation (perhaps my favorite of all time) Fallout 3 is my favorite for this generation.

 

[Jabbawocky]

If Wii sports doesn't count because it was bundled with a console the why does Wii Play count when it was bundled with a controller?

 

[Sixties Spidey]

Yes! 11.1 Million people who bought the fucking thing only for the Wii Remote and played the game for 5 minutes before leaving it and letting it collect dust!

Oh no I didn't!

 

[Imat]

If Wii sports doesn't count because it was bundled with a console the why does Wii Play count when it was bundled with a controller?

Because the cost of Wii Sports was not (As far as I can tell) added on top of the cost of the console. The cost of Wii Play was added on top of the Wiimote. Which means that people made a conscious decision to purchase the remote and the game, not just the remote with the game as bonus. And that is why they can count them separately but not the consoles. The More You Know!

 

[Tales of Golden Sun]

Meh, I hate Wii Play. I've literally HIDDEN that game. It doesn't deserve to stand among my other games.

And why not count Wii Sports?
(Taken from VGChartz

There are various viewpoints as to whether a bundled game can be considered for the title of "best selling". Certainly many would argue that the forced sale of the game with the Wii console should eliminate it from this list. The point of view taken by VGChartz is that:

1. The bundling of Wii Sports with the Wii console is integral to the success of the Wii console - Wii Sports adds value to the package and isn't "given away" with the console. It is purchased alongside the console.
2. The game isn't bundled in Japan and has managed to sell at a 45% attach rate with the Wii console showing that many Wii owners in Japan bought a Wii for Wii Sports.
3. Bundle sales of all other games are counted. Super Mario Bros wouldn't have sold 40 million as a stand-alone title but who can say how many it would have sold - maybe 20 million, maybe 25 million. Same is true of Wii Sports, Tetris, Duck Hunt, Super Mario World and most of the other titles on the best seller list. Sure, the act of bundling the game with the console will serve to increase its sales but to totally remove the game because of the fact it has been bundled is not right either. It is totally conceivable that as a stand-alone title Wii Sports would have sold well over 20 million units by now given the attach rate seen in Japan and also seen with both Wii Play and Wii Fit in the west. So to remove the title also seems totally unfair - especially given point 1.

 

[KowBonez]

But doesn't it come with the Wii? And wasn't/isn't the Wii the best selling console?

 

[Pendragon9]

It really does suck how this crap is outselling their better titles.

 

[David_G]

I read somewhere that Wii Sports was the best selling game of all time, so why isn't it here?

 

[randomrob]

Wii play is not a game. it is a collection of (poor and gimmicky) mini games that appeal to people like my 8 year old cousin.

 

[randommaster]

Meh, I hate Wii Play. I've literally HIDDEN that game. It doesn't deserve to stand among my other games.

And why not count Wii Sports?
(Taken from VGChartz

There are various viewpoints as to whether a bundled game can be considered for the title of "best selling". Certainly many would argue that the forced sale of the game with the Wii console should eliminate it from this list. The point of view taken by VGChartz is that:

1. The bundling of Wii Sports with the Wii console is integral to the success of the Wii console - Wii Sports adds value to the package and isn't "given away" with the console. It is purchased alongside the console.
2. The game isn't bundled in Japan and has managed to sell at a 45% attach rate with the Wii console showing that many Wii owners in Japan bought a Wii for Wii Sports.
3. Bundle sales of all other games are counted. Super Mario Bros wouldn't have sold 40 million as a stand-alone title but who can say how many it would have sold - maybe 20 million, maybe 25 million. Same is true of Wii Sports, Tetris, Duck Hunt, Super Mario World and most of the other titles on the best seller list. Sure, the act of bundling the game with the console will serve to increase its sales but to totally remove the game because of the fact it has been bundled is not right either. It is totally conceivable that as a stand-alone title Wii Sports would have sold well over 20 million units by now given the attach rate seen in Japan and also seen with both Wii Play and Wii Fit in the west. So to remove the title also seems totally unfair - especially given point 1.

Woooooo! Well-reasoned arguements instead of random hate. Personally, I'm glad that Nintendo has decided to focus on games rather than, say, internet service or something that we actually depend on.

Off Topic: that old man in the picture looks like he's doing something indecent with that Wiimote.